I AM A RUNNER!

I am a runner!  Seems like an obvious thing at this point but I have had a hard time embracing this fact. I always make excuses and explain that I'm slow or can't run as far as my husband and our friends.  I have slowly been coming to the realization that I'm selling myself short.

I am a runner!  Me.  I go out and run.  Maybe not fast but I do it.  And I'm getting better at it and it feels good.

I AM a runner!  I really am.  Crazy to think about what I have accomplished the past few years.  When I started I could barely run the corners of the track, let alone run an entire lap.  While I may not be at the size/weight that I had hoped to be at this point, I have hit many other goals along the way that I am very proud of.

I am a RUNNER!  I run!  I don't sit on the couch.  I don't wish I could do races and get medals.  I am doing it.  I go out four or five days a week and I run.  Not only do I run but I run far!  I am doing things that four years ago I would have thought impossible.

If I measure all my success as a runner on my size/weight then I won't ever feel successful.  That is too narrow a measurement.

If I measure my success as a runner on the following things I have a much better (and rewarding) view:

• I love how I feel after a good run.  
• I love how I pick myself up after a bad run and try again the next day.
• I love how I feel at the end of a race.
• I really love how I feel at the end of a race that I get a PR.
• I love being able to share running with my husband.
• I love being able to share running with my friends who run too.
• I love that my husband, family and my friends cheer me on for all my accomplishments and pick me up when I'm struggling.
• I love that I can share my running, goal setting, setbacks and successes with my students and show them that running is a lot like life, not perfect but definitely an adventure. 
• I love running!  I don't always like getting going but I love the run and the feeling after so that balances it out.  

I have been working hard at not saying things like "I ONLY ran a 1/2 Marathon" or "I am so slow compared to everyone else."  I am finding that because I haven't been saying it out loud I haven't been as focused on it in my own head either.  Cascade Lakes Relay is coming.  It's only two weeks away.  I will be the slowest person on the team, as usual.  I have more miles to run this year and I'm excited about where I am in my fitness level compared to last year.  So the weight is about where I was last year during that race but I think I will be a better athlete this year.  And isn't that a kick in the pants to consider myself an athlete?  Part of the changing of how I see myself, in a good way.  :-)  I am very blessed to have teammates who want me to participate and are always encouraging and supportive of my efforts.  They have never done anything but make me feel like I should be there.  Gotta love it!

This week I have been adding other types of working out.  I am pushing myself outside of my comfort zone....again.  It's hard to try new things because I'm self-conscious about how I look when I am trying to do something and I can't do it right yet.

The bike riding has been fun.  More fun than I had anticipated.  Partly because it brings back so many memories of when I was a kid and I LOVED riding my bike.  :-)  Makes me feel young again.  I am really looking forward to doing the Last Chance Triathlon in October with my youngest goober.

I went to my very first yoga class this week.  My good friend is working on becoming a yoga instructor and is giving free classes to friends and family so she can practice teaching classes.  Goober #3 and I went last Monday and it was really fun.  I couldn't do half of the stuff that we were supposed to do.  But I worked up a sweat, tried everything and felt all loose and stretched out when it was done.  I really enjoyed it.  I'm going again next week.  :-)  A little jealous that the goober could fold herself up like a pretzel with no problem.  Oh to be young and limber!  :-)

This week I have ran 13 miles, done one yoga class, one water aerobics class and biked 7 miles.  All that just since Monday.  :-)  I have a long run to do tomorrow to finish out the week.

When I first started this blog I shared a blog post from a runner named Flint.  I have become a follower of Flint's adventures for a couple of reasons.  First of all, he is a runner who loves the community of runners.  And he includes everyone who laces up their shoes and goes out there as part of his community.  Secondly, Flint recently started on an adventure where he is traveling around in a fixed up camper van.  I have enjoyed reading about the getting ready part of the adventure and I am already loving the first few posts about what he's been up to so far.  If you get a chance check out his blog.  It's worth a read.  :-)  His post "Hey Fat Girl" has made the rounds on Facebook several times and he graciously let me copy it onto my blog last winter.   http://flintland.blogspot.com

All that to say, as my blogger friend Flint says:

Run Free  :-)